Some restaurants serve food, and then some restaurants tell a story — and Acre in Auburn, Alabama, tells one of the most compelling stories in the entire American South. 🌿✨
Built on a literal acre of land in the heart of historic Downtown Auburn, this husband-and-wife-owned farm-to-table restaurant has been redefining what Southern food can be since 2013 — with three on-site gardens, a fruit orchard, a James Beard Award-nominated chef, and a commitment to locally sourced, sustainably grown ingredients that runs as deep as Alabama’s red clay soil.
From its “Chicken Fried” Bacon to its Hokkaido diver scallops and confit duck leg, Acre is the kind of restaurant that makes Auburn, Alabama, feel like a genuine culinary destination. 🏆
How Acre Won Auburn’s Hearts
Chef and owner David Bancroft had always dreamed of opening a restaurant — but his plan, like many young chefs before him, was to head to a major city: Atlanta, Los Angeles, or Chicago. According to Good Grit Magazine, it was his wife and co-owner Christin Bancroft who changed the entire trajectory of that dream.
Christin convinced him that Auburn was the right home — that by investing in their own community, their community would return the favor.
On August 22, 2013, David and Christin opened Acre together — a restaurant built on exactly one acre of land, wrapped in edible landscape, fruit trees, and working vegetable gardens that supply the kitchen with seasonal produce year-round.
The awards followed swiftly. David became a 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: South — and was named a semifinalist again in 2025. He won Food Network’s Iron Chef Showdown in 2017 and earned Acre a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — all while staying in Auburn, all while serving his community.
Behind every extraordinary plate leaving Acre’s kitchen is Christin’s equally extraordinary commitment to the community they call home.
She serves on the Auburn Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and has championed charitable initiatives that have channeled Acre’s resources directly into local organizations supporting women and children in need.
Acre celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023 — a decade of making its mark as an Auburn tradition, one locally grown, seasonal, soulfully prepared plate at a time. 🌱
Food Highlights
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“Chicken Fried” Bacon: Acre’s most iconic dish — house-smoked bacon strips fried in a seasoned pepper batter, served with silky sawmill gravy, Vermont maple syrup, and BBQ pecans. 🥓
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Fried Green Tomatoes: A Southern classic elevated to something genuinely extraordinary — golden, crispy green tomato slices topped with marinated Gulf blue crab, pimento cheese, and house-made Creole remoulade. 🍅🦀
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Lacquered Cornbread: Skillet-baked cornbread glazed in a honey-hot sauce, butter, and finished with toasted sesame seeds. 🍯
- Redfish on the Half Shell: Fresh Gulf redfish cooked on the half shell — the natural scale-side crust acting as its own vessel — finished with house “deckhand butter”, crispy Brabant potatoes, fresh parsley, charred lemon, and capers. 🐟
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Confit Duck Leg: Bay-cured Maple Leaf Farm duck, slow-cooked until silky and tender, finished with a satsuma glaze and served alongside a bright frisée salad. 🦆
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Mafalda alla Bolognese: Bronze-cut mafalda pasta tossed in a slow-braised short rib tomato gravy, finished with Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil.🍝
- Grilled Beef Tenderloin: A prime cut of beef, flame-kissed and served over silky whipped potatoes, finished with a rich roasted duck jus and garlicky haricot verts. 🥩🌿
Atmosphere
Acre is, in every possible sense, a place rooted in the land. The restaurant sits in a beautifully restored building in historic Downtown Auburn, just three blocks from Toomer’s Corner, wrapped in working gardens and fruit orchards. 🌸
Inside, the space is warm and sophisticated without being stiff — repurposed architectural details, rich textures, and an atmosphere described by the restaurant itself as “a delightful anachronism — sophisticated charm serving stylishly modern food with roots deep in Southern soil.”
The garden patio and outdoor spaces are among the most beloved in Auburn, especially during the warmer months when the sunflower garden blooms and every meal comes with a view of something grown right on the property.
It is the rare restaurant where the setting, the food, and the story all work in perfect harmony — the kind of place that makes guests feel genuinely privileged to be there. 🌿✨
Bottom Line
Acre is an essential Auburn, Alabama experience: a James Beard Award-nominated chef and his visionary wife committed to their community, three on-site working gardens feeding a seasonal menu of extraordinary farm-to-table Southern food, nationally celebrated dishes like the “Chicken Fried” Bacon and Fried Green Tomatoes, and a decade-plus of warmth that has made it the most beloved restaurant in the Loveliest Village on the Plains. 🌿🍽️
Address:
210 E Glenn Ave, Auburn, AL 36830
📞 (334) 246-3763
🕔 Wed–Thu: 11 AM–2 PM & 5–9 PM | Fri–Sat: 11 AM–2 PM & 5–10 PM | Sun: 10 AM–2 PM | Mon–Tue: 5–9 PM